Media release

Spokesperson for Coalition Costings, Andrew Leigh has today called on Tony Abbott to release the full costings for his Direct Action plan to lower carbon emissions.

Tony Abbott claims his subsidies for polluters policy will cut Australia’s emissions by 85 million tonnes in 2020 by simply by storing carbon in the soil; Mr Abbott’s ‘Soil Magic’.

Climate Change Departmental officials have now told Senate estimates soil carbon and vegetation measures combined can only reduce emissions by around 4 million tonnes in 2020 – less than one-twentieth of the amount Tony Abbott claims.

“If these measures will only cut emissions by one-twentieth of what he originally envisaged, will Mr Abbott abandon the bipartisan emissions reduction target, bust the budget, or propose further savage cuts to meet it?” said Dr Leigh.

The Coalition’s subsidies for polluters policy has been universally ridiculed by scientists, economists, business leaders and even Liberal Party members. It will cost households at least $1300/year and won’t meet Australia’s commitments to being part of the solution to dangerous climate change.

As former Liberal Leader Malcolm Turnbull has noted, “a direct action policy where industry is able to freely pollute and the government is just spending more and more taxpayers’ money to offset it, that would become a very expensive charge on the budget.” (ABC Lateline, 18 May 2011)

“Mr Abbott needs to come clean about how much households will have to pay, what new tax will be introduced, or what cuts will be made to pay for it,” said Dr Leigh

“With the School Kids Bonus, superannuation increases, and cuts to education already on the chopping block, what else will Mr Abbott look at cutting to meet the missing 19/20ths of his emissions target?” said Mr Leigh.